Ingenuity Center

Faculty Position

The UT Tyler Innovation Academy is seeking qualified applicants to fill the role of classroom teacher at each of its three campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine. Interested and qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Teachers with certifications in all certification areas are needed, including core areas, Foreign Languages, Health/Physical Education, and Fine Arts.

School Design

The Innovation Academy is a university charter school approved by the State Board of Education. The campuses will serve grades 3-8 for the 2014-2015 school year. Additional grade levels will be added each ensuing year. Professional development and curricular planning will occur during the summer of 2014. The Academy promotes numerous best and promising educational practices. The schools operate on a daily schedule of face-to-face instruction from approximately 8-12 each morning, Monday through Friday. Students are expected to complete assignments using distance technology tools each afternoon. The schools are based on the highly successful T-STEM Academy Blueprint and are centered around project-based learning. The Academy seeks to differentiate instruction using project-based learning and technological tools in order to break down traditional grade level boundaries. Teachers in the Academy meet daily to develop projects, and participate in job-embedded professional development. Teachers are expected to be prepared to work for at least 6 weeks during the summer of 2014. Additional compensation will be provided. School will begin on August 4, 2014.

The Classroom Teacher

The classroom teacher will provide instruction to students both face-to-face through project-based learning and online. The teacher will be supported by a teacher leader, Innovation Academy Central Office Administrators, Ingenuity Center Professional Development Specialists, and university faculty. The classroom teacher will be expected to participate in daily teaming and project development with all teachers at the campus as well as teachers at other campuses using distance technologies. The classroom teacher will be responsible for curriculum development, lesson planning, communication and outreach, classroom management, integrating multiple technologies, collaborating with colleagues, and integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Teachers will be expected to participate in graduate level work, and those teachers not currently holding master’s degree will be expected to be enrolled in a program as part of the compensation package. The position will be a 10 month university appointment, predicated on performance, enrollment, and continued successful operations of the charter school.

3) Application should include resume and cover letter (limited to no more than two (2) pages, single-sided) including answers to the following questions:

- Describe your experience and philosophy as it relates to project-based learning.

- Describe your experience and philosophy as it relates to distance education.

- Describe your experience and philosophy as it relates to the daily routine of teaching.

4) Applicants should be prepared to participate in an online initial screening interview. The interview will occur via Skype (w/video), Adobe Connect, Facetime, or other teleconferencing tool. Applicants will need to make arrangements to have access to a web-video interface. An android phone or iPhone with front facing camera or webcam will suffice.

5) Applicants selected as candidates following the resume and video interview phases will be required to post a video to YouTube or other online distribution site and send the link to innovationacademy@uttyler.edu. The video should focus on the applicant’s ability to apply innovative educational practices to the classroom, in either face-to-face or virtual settings.

6) Applicants selected as finalists will be invited for an on-site interview with the administration of the Innovation Academy.

Contact

At The University of Texas at Tyler, we are creating solutions today for a better tomorrow. A culture of excellence provides a nurturing environment to prepare our students to be future problem solvers. We take great pride in a tradition of offering quality academic programs, expert faculty, fascinating student life and well-rounded service opportunities.